Category Archives: Employees

An appreciation of our town employees

Posted on March 25, 2020 | 2 comments

town seal

An appreciation for a job well done

I have been thinking this morning about the Town of Medfield employees who provide we residents with the services that allow our lives to continue with as much semblance of normalcy as possible at all times, but most especially in these truly unsettling circumstances we are currently experiencing. Our water goes on, public safety continues to serve us, the Transfer Station even added Sunday openings, and all the town government systems continue to function, if behind a digital curtain, all so that we residents can continue our lives.

The town employees are providing essential services, so while they likely share the same unease that envelopes us all, they continue to work their jobs.  I wanted to publicly share with the Town of Medfield employees my sincere appreciation for their efforts  and to thank them.

I am extremely appreciative of what all the town employees are doing now, working under difficult circumstances – I want to let them all know just how much this one resident, one who tries hard to observe closely the functioning of the town government so as to understand it as well as possible, truly appreciates what our team of town employees are accomplishing for we residents.

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Posted in Council on Aging, DPW, Employees, Fire Department, Library, Medfield High School, Medfield Youth Outreach, MPR, People, Permitting, Planning, Police Department, Recycling & Solid Waste, Town Services

Nicholas Miliano, Assistant Town Administrator

Posted on August 30, 2019 | Leave a comment

milano

Good article by Mike Gleason on Nick in the Medfield Press

https://medfield.wickedlocal.com/news/20190829/milano-is-medfields-new-assistant-town-administrator

It was nice to meet Nick at the Select Board meeting last night.

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Posted in Employees, People, Selectmen matters, Town Services

5 MFD firefighters receive awards

Posted on August 28, 2019 | Leave a comment

MFD-patch

The Fire Service Commission of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts awarded the following “Massachusetts Firefighter Service Award” to five Medfield Fire Department firefighters for a combined 135 years of service to the Medfield Fire Department –

 

20190826-MFD-service awards_Page_120190826-MFD-service awards_Page_220190826-MFD-service awards_Page_320190826-MFD-service awards_Page_4COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS Fire Service Commission PRESENTS THE Massachusetts Firefighter Service Award TO IN GRATEFUL APPRECIATION AND RECOGNJTION OF YOUR 30 YEARS OF DEDICATED FIRE SERVICE AS A CALL FIREFIGHTER ON BEHALF OF THE CITIZENS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS THIS 2 DAY OF JANUARY 2019 ~~~ Head of Fire Department State Fire Marshal COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS Fire Service Commission PRESENTS THE Massachusetts Firefighter Service A ward TO IN GRATEFUL APPRECIATION AND RECOGNITION OF YOUR 20 YEARS OF DEDICATED FIRE SERVICE AS A CALL FIREFIGHTER ON BEHALF OF THE CITIZENS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS TI-HS 1 DAY OF JULY 2017 ~~ Head of Fire Depattment State Fire Marshal COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS Fire Service Commission PRESENTS THE Massachusetts Firefighter Service A ward TO IN GRATEFUL APPRECIATION AND RECOGNITION OF YOUR 30 YEARS OF DEDICATED FIRE SERVICE AS A CALL FIREFIGHTER ON BEHALF OF THE CITIZENS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS THIS 1 DAY OF JULY 2019 (6:._~ Head ofFire Department State Fire Marshal COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS Fire Service Commission PRESENTS THE Massachusetts Firefighter Service Award TO IN GRATEFUL APPRECIATION AND RECOGNITION OF YOUR 25 YEARS OF DEDICATED FIRE SERVICE AS A CALL FIREFIGHTER ON BEHALF OF THE CITIZENS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS THIS 1 DAY OF JANUARY 2017 a-~ Head of Fire Department State Fire Marshal COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS Fire Service Commission PRESENTS THE Massachusetts Firefighter Service Award . TO P.bejudjj ~fue/P.bavid ({!J} cffode d#~~ IN GRATEFUL APPRECIATION AND RECOGNITION OF YOUR 30 YEARS OF DEDICATED FIRE SERVICE AS A CALL FIREFIGHTER ON BEHALF OF THE CITIZENS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS THIS 1 DAY OF OCTOBER 2015 ~-- /.6:--~~ Head of Fire Department State Fire Marshal

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Posted in Employees, Fire Department

BoS meets on 10/29 before STM

Posted on October 25, 2018 | Leave a comment

The special town meeting (STM) is on Monday, October 29 at 7:30 PM at the Medfield High School gym.

The Board of Selectmen will hold a meeting just before the STM, including an executive session to try to work out the terms of employment for Kristine Trierweiler, the new town administrator.

Board of Selectmen Board or Committee PLACE OF MEETING DAY, DATE, AND TIME Medfield High School library Monday October 29, 2018 6:00PM AGENDA (Subject to change) 6:00 PM Declare meeting open 6:00 PM Vote to go into Executive Session: Exemption #2 to conduct negotiations with nonunion personnel: discussion and possible vote on compensation and other terms and conditions of an employment agreement to be offered to new Town Administrator Kristine Trierweiler Return to open session Discuss Special Town Meeting Articles, BOS position on same and any other business related to Special Town Meeting

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Posted in Employees, Selectmen matters, Town Meeting

No town administrator evaluation tonight

Posted on January 17, 2017 | Leave a comment

Kristine Trierweiler just emailed that the Selectmen are doing the evaluation of the town administrator at our next meeting, February 7, not this evening.  Sorry – my mistake.

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Posted in Employees, People, Selectmen matters

Town administrator evaluation

Posted on January 17, 2017 | Leave a comment

The Board of Selectmen are being asked to evaluate the town administrator tonight based on his goals and the goals of the selectmen from 2015, so I thought it might be useful for people to see what those goals were stated to be.

The selectmen prepared its goals first in October 2015, with selectman DeSorgher crafting the final combination for each of our separate inputs into the consensus document below.  Then Mike drafted his goals in November 2015, which essentially track the selectmen goals.

Draft Board of Selectmen Goals 2015-2016 I. Communications 1. Promote and encourage a collegial and supportive atmosphere for all volunteer committees and boards, ensure that their voices are heard and their work recognized. Promote and encourage supportive atmospheres with the Board of Selectmen and our Town Administrator, Superintendent of Schools and all department heads and employees 2. Improve the town's web site, including putting the town budget on-line 3. Working with the Assistant Town Administrator, explore ways to better inform town citizens on the happenings at town hall and on town-wide events, projects, plans, etc 4. Keep the annual calendar current and on-line II. Planning 1. Work towards completion of a town-wide master plan 2. Have ongoing discussions with the Town Manager and Assistant Town Manager as to the current and future makeup of the management staff of the Town 3. Work with all town department heads and committees to get five-year plans 4. Develop an affordable housing plan 5. Adopt the Green Community Act 6. Expand solar power in the town and increase recycling rates 7. Become a Tree City that is progressive and not in name only, adding money in the budget for tree plantings 8. Ensure that the town continues to provide a high quality of education to its children and provides a high quality of municipal services to its citizens in the most cost-effective manner possible. III. Capital Projects 1. Provide direction as the Town moves forward with the clean-up and redevelopment of the State Hospital Grounds. Support and encourage the State Hospital Redevelopment Committee as they move forward with a plan to redevelop the site 2.Provide support and direction to the Permanent Building Committee as they proceed with the construction of a new Public Safety Building IV. Finances 1. Ensure that the annual budget process and town meeting move forward in a productive and cooperative manner that is always in the best interest of the citizens of Medfield 2. Work to implement a three-year budget forecast, seek savings and increase revenue and work towards property tax relief for senior citizens 3. Complete union contracts on time. 4. Analyze overtime expenditures. 5. implement a 20-year capital improvement plan V.Downtown 1. Promote and encourage the development of a robust and pedestrian-friendly downtown area that will entice the public to embrace our small businesses and help them to grow and thrive 1. Work with the Chief of pol ice on traffic and parking issues 2. Support, plan and follow-up on the recommendations from the Downtown Summit and from the Downtown Vision and Action Plan 3. Complete Straw Hat Park 4. Open dialog on Design Review and Sidewalk Master Plan

DRAFT Medfield Town Administrator Goals 2015-2016 I. Communications 1. Schedule Town Boards and Committees to meet with Board of Selectmen on a regular basis to discuss opportunities, plans and obstacles in providing services to Town residents. 2. Investigating new website companies, working with Community Compact for transparent budgeting options 3. Creating opt in email communication system through the website 4. Maintain a running three month BOS calendar of and post it to the Town's website. II. Planning 1. Include funding in fy17 budget to prepare town-wide master plan and work with Planning Board and Town Planner to prepare. 2. Continue to work with Selectmen, Personnel Board and Town boards and commissions to plan, recruit and hire management staff. For fy16 plan for a transition in the Public Works Department. 3. Department heads, boards and committees will be asked to prepare a five-year operating and capital plan, as well as an estimate of budgetary requirements. 4. A draft Housing Production Plan was submitted to the Selectmen at the beginning of 2015. For fy16, ask the Board of Selectmen, the Planning Board and the Housing Authority to refine and adopt an Affordable Housing Plan based on this draft. Also, ask the State Hospital Re-use Committee to include provisions in its re-use plan for an affordable housing component addressing the Town's 40B requirements and a plan to provide moderate income 55 and older housing and/or assisted living housing. 5. The Town has adopted four of the five components necessary to qualify for Green Community Act status. An article will be placed on the 2016 Annual Town Meeting Warrant to adopt the fifth component, the "stretch code". 6. Ground has broken on the town's first public solar project at the wastewater treatment plant. It is expected to be completed and on line by the spring of 2016. Following up on that project, begin the plan for installation of a solar array on the roof of the town garage and the public safety building. 7. Medfield is a progressive Tree City. In addition to the 350 trees the Public Works Department planted and maintained during the Town's 350th Anniversary celebration, the Town has been active planting trees along Main and North Streets. This year the DPW and the Tree Warden have planted 12 trees on Green Street and seven trees in Vine Lake Cemetery and has been replacing existing trees as needed. Certain restrictions established by the Americans with Disabilities Act for accessibility and the Department of Transportation requirements for bike paths, have created problems in planting street trees on older roads, with narrow widths, but whenever possible the Tree Department replaces, plants new trees and does whatever it can to encourage Tree City standards. In addition, the Planning Board requires tree planting in new subdivisions. This year the new Public Safety Building will include substantial tree plantings along Dale Street and the Tree Department will continue to evaluate trees at the Medfield State Hospital site. 8. The Town has worked cooperatively with the School Department to fund, facilitate and support quality education. The combined Information Technology Departments, the coordination of energy and facilities improvements, coordination of snow removal operations to keep school closings to a minimum, conversion of the accounting system to provide for better financial reporting are testament to this. For this year we are working with the school department to achieve compliance with the federal Affordable Care Act reporting requirements and to avoid high fines for not achieving compliance. The facilities manager will be working with the Library, the Council on Aging and the Public Works Departments to improve the efficiency of operations and develop reliable maintenance procedures to reduce the need for costly capital expenditures and to reduce the costs of energy usage. Among items to be looked at are roof and portico repairs at the library, solar power at The CENTER at Medfield and the DPW garage. Ill. Capital Projects 1. Continue to work with the State Hospital Redevelopment Committee and the MSH Building and Grounds Committee 2. In addition to the weekly on-site construction meetings, monthly meetings are held at the Town Hall to update the full Permanent Planning and Building Committee on the progress of the new Public Safety Building. To date the project is on time and within budget. Financing was completed during the summer to take advantage of the low interest rates. Town departments will provide assistance as requested. IV. Finances 1. Will hold annual financial program for the Warrant Committee in October and focus on fund accounting in order to give the Warrant Committee members an understanding of the Town's broad financial picture. Also, schedule an early budget meeting with the Selectmen and the Warrant Committee to get a head start on the fyl 7 budget process. 2. I will prepare a three year budget forecast. While cities and towns are very limited by state control of taxation, I will explore new opportunities to seek new revenues and will work to cut expenditures. 3. Police contracts are up for renewal next year and we expect they will be completed on time. Fire contracts are several years past due for renewals. We thought we had reached agreement with the negotiating team, but the membership rejected the proposed settlement. We will try to get the fire union back to the bargaining table and finish negotiations, but the fire union has shown little interest in doing so. 4. We will prepare an analysis of overtime expenditures, if requested by the Board of Selectmen. 5. Will submit an article for funding of a 20-year Capital Budget for the 2016 Annual Town Meeting Warrant. V. Downtown 1. Replace the Main Street/Route 109 railroad crossing. Construct the Ed Doherty Memorial at Meeting House Pond. Work with developers of downtown projects (Macready, Borrelli, Larkin family and the owners of the North Meadows Road strip mall) to complete their projects, along with landscaping improvements, parking and other amenities. Assist Medfield Cable TV with their move to the downtown and renovation of its new quarters. 2. Work with Police Chief and Town Planner on a MAPC sponsored 109 traffic study. Work with developer of old Ord's Block to add 12 public parking spaces on Townowned land off Janes Avenue. Get the North Street reconstruction project moving. 3. Work with Town Planner and Economic Development Committee on the Downtown Summit and work to implement its recommendations. 4. Complete Straw Hat Park during the summer of 2016. 5. Set up meeting with Planning Board, Board of Selectmen, Historical Commission and Town Counsel to explore development of a Design Review bylaw. Review past Selectmen's votes on sidewalk types/locations and work with DPW, Police Department and School Department and residents to develop a priority list for new sidewalk construction.20151117-ms-town-administrator-goals_page_220151117-ms-town-administrator-goals_page_3

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Posted in Employees, People, Selectmen matters

Town health insurance rates increase

Posted on May 16, 2014 | Leave a comment

The town employees were given the choice between having their rates increase a lower amount and paying increased co-pays versus a higher premium increase.  They reportedly voted overwhelmingly for the higher premium increase.  At the 5/6/14 meeting of the Board of Selectmen, the selectmen approved a rate increase of 8.8% in the health insurance premiums.  With the higher co-pays the rate increase would have been 4.4%

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Posted in Budgets, Employees

Selectmen established goals

Posted on September 7, 2013 | Leave a comment

The Board of Selectmen has worked thorough suggested goals penned for the board from each selectman, and selectman Richard DeSorgher kindly edited our three sets of goals into the following composite, which the Board of Selectmen has now agreed will be our formal goals this year.  Mike Sullivan will next draft his goals, in response to these mandates to him from the Board of Selectmen.

Goals:-selectmen
I.  Improved Communications
·    Collegial and supportive atmosphere for all volunteer committees and boards and their work recognized. Meet with each board and committee annually to share purposes and goals.
·    Supportive and positive atmosphere with the Boards interaction with town hall staff and Superintendent of Schools and all department heads and employees.
·    Institute improved government transparency and reporting to town residents on town government matters and information and explore ways to make visits to town hall by residents more user friendly.
·    Develop joint cooperation between all town boards and committees including the school department and work to combine technology, energy efficiency and building maintenance under one leadership position that can be shared by all departments.
·    Identify areas of regionalization of services with neighboring towns, including meetings and contact with area towns in attempt to solve joint problems
·    Improve communications with our state and federal representatives and work with their staffs to help Medfield with grants and other assistance
·    Improve the operation and updating of the town’s web site.

II. Provide direction and leadership to the State Hospital Advisory Committee and work in partnership with the Committee and the Commonwealth in the development of the former Medfield State Hospital site.

III. Long-range planning
·    five year planning from department heads and committee chairmen, using the Water & Sewer long-range plan and Pavement Management Plan as examples
·    updating of town by-laws, especially concerning future development at the former Medfield State Hospital.
·    strategy for maintenance and renovations of all town buildings, including support, direction and leadership to the Permanent Building Committee
·    planning for developing Medfield into a Green Community including usage of solar power and improved recycling ideas.

IV. Ensure that the town continues to provide a high quality of education to its children and provides a high quality of municipal services to its citizens in the most cost-effective manner possible.
·    analysis of overtime use
·    create a three-year financial forecast of the town, working especially with the warrant committee and the school committee
·    examine opportunities for additional revenue streams
·    work with the Economic Development Committee on ways to bring tax relief
explore areas of tax relief for senior citizens who own their own homes

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Posted in Employees, Selectmen matters

Selectman goals & objectives

Posted on June 3, 2013 | Leave a comment

I am being interviewed on Medfield TV on 6/18 by Jack Peterson and Theresa Knapp of Patch, and Jack asked me to bring along topics to discuss, so I updated the list of goals and objectives I prepared for the Board of Selectmen last September:

2013 Goals and Objectives for the Medfield Town Administrator and the Board of Selectmen

By Osler L. Peterson, Selectman
June 3, 2013

1.    Institutional good governance systems, such as
a.    Thorough planning,
b.    Government transparency, and
c.    Complete reporting to the residents
2.    Have the Board of Advisors (former selectmen) conduct a zero based review of our town government systems to determine whether we are using best practices and have the right systems.  Consider partnering with an educational institution to get interns for this task.
a.    Establish expectations, policies, and procedures for all town boards and departments.
b.    Evaluate staffing levels and positions.
i.    Consider hiring a Finance Director.
3.    Get written five year plans from the Town Administrator and department heads.
4.    Have Town Administrator use annual calendar for the Board of Selectmen.
5.    Hold a Board of Selectmen joint meeting annually with each town board and commission to review our shared purposes and goals.
6.    Report to town on DPW’s road and sidewalk repair plans and funding.
7.    Work with Water and Sewer Commission on its master plan.
8.    Study the possible purchase and/or control of the development of the Medfield State Hospital site
9.    Oversee the process of dealing with the clean up and reuse of the Medfield State Hospital site.
10.    Complete bylaw review, especially for issues related to the Medfield State Hospital site.
11.    Work with planning board for new economic growth; Town’s master plan and downtown zoning.
12.    Work on strategy for maintenance and renovation of all town buildings and a strategy to build a new DPW Garage, Public Safety, and Community Center.
13.    Examine opportunities for additional revenue streams, such as:
a.    Housing can be the “business” of Medfield (e.g. – Old Medfield Square)
b.    Power purchase agreements for PV power
c.    Selling Medfield bottled water
14.    Identify opportunities for regionalization of services, such as:
a.    Dispatch for public safety
b.    Board of Health
15.    Target completion of union negotiations before contracts expire.
16.    Create a three-year financial forecast of the town, working with the Warrant Committee and the School Committee.
17.    Implement succession planning for key municipal positions.
18.    Installation of solar PV arrays on town owned land.
19.    Become a Green Community.
20.    Solve Veterans Service Officer position issues.
21.    Perform an analysis of overtime use.
22.    Maintain town’s fiscal status.
23.    Determine whether our recycling rates can be improved, and our trash costs thereby reduced

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Posted in Budgets, Buildings, Charter & Bylaw Review, Development, Employees, Medfield State Hospital, Medfield TV, On being a selectman, Planning, Recycling & Solid Waste, Safety Committee, Town Services, Veterans, Water & Sewer

Town planner

Posted on October 17, 2012 | Leave a comment

Exceptional town employee Norma Cronin, Senior Secretarial Administrator to, but really the heart, sole, and glue of both the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals is retiring.  The town has opted to try to replace her (we who have worked with her know she cannot be replaced) with a town planner.  See here the town planner ad posted in the Massachusetts Municipal Association’s monthly magazine The Bulletin.

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Posted in Employees, Planning, Zoning